Weizmannia coagulans BCF-01: a novel gastrogenic probiotic for Helicobacter pylori infection control.

The widespread prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection, particularly in China, contributes to the development of gastrointestinal diseases. Antibiotics have limitations, including adverse reactions and increased antibiotic resistance. Therefore, identification of novel gastrogenic probiotics capable of surviving the acidic gastric environment and effectively combating H. pylori infection has potential in restoring gastric microbiota homeostasis. Five novel strains of human gastrogenic Weizmannia coagulans (BCF-01-05) were isolated from healthy gastric mucosa and characterized using 16S rDNA identification. Acid resistance, H. pylori inhibition, and adherence to gastric epithelial cells were evaluated in in-vitro experiments and the molecular mechanism explored in in-vivo experiments. Among the gastric-derived W. coagulans strains, BCF-01 exhibited the strongest adhesion and H. pylori inhibition, warranting further in-vivo safety evaluation. Through 16S rRNA sequencing of a mouse model, BCF-01 was determined to significantly restore H. pylori-associated gastric dysbiosis and increase the abundance of potential probiotic bacteria. Furthermore, BCF-01 enhanced mucosal tight junction protein expression and inhibited the TLR4-NFκB-pyroptosis signaling pathway in macrophages, as demonstrated by qRT-PCR and western blotting.These findings highlight the potential of BCF-01 in the prevention and control of H. pylori infection. Specifically, treatment with BCF-01 effectively restored gastric microecology and improved H. pylori-mediated mucosal barrier destruction while reducing inflammation through inhibition of the TLR4-NFκB-pyroptosis signaling pathway in macrophages. BCF-01 is a promising alternative to traditional triple therapy for H. pylori infections, offering minimal side effects with high suitability for high-risk individuals.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and gastroprotective effects of human stomach-derived Lactobacillus paragasseri strain LPG-9.

The eradication of Helicobacter pylori is an urgent global issue. However, the traditional regimens have several limitations. Thus, we propose the idea of treating bacterial gastric disease with the objective of eliminating gastric pathogenic bacteria and enhancing gastroprotective effects using gastric probiotics. In this study, a total of 12 Lactobacillus strains were isolated from the gastric mucosa of healthy donors. After evaluation using a weight scoring system, Lactobacillus paragasseri strain LPG-9 was identified as the most promising probiotic for gastric disease, with the highest acid-resistance and the best adhesion characteristics. Gastric colonisation, H. pylori inhibition, anti-inflammatory, and gastric homeostasis effects of LPG-9 were confirmed in C57BL/6 mice. Finally, a safety evaluation and whole-genome sequencing were performed. Based on the results of this study, LPG-9 originates from the gastric microbiota and is a promising probiotic for gastric disease, particularly H. pylori-induced gastritis, providing a solution to this global issue.

Transcription factors MdMYC2 and MdMYB85 interact with ester aroma synthesis gene MdAAT1 in apple.

Volatile esters in apple (Malus domestica) fruit are the critical aroma components determining apple flavor quality. While the exact molecular regulatory mechanism remains unknown, jasmonic acid (JA) plays a crucial role in stimulating the synthesis of ester aromas in apples. In our study, we investigated the effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the production of ester aroma in apples. MeJA treatment significantly increased ester aroma synthesis, accompanied by the upregulation of several genes involved in the jasmonate pathway transduction. Specifically, expression of the gene MdMYC2, which encodes a transcription factor associated with the jasmonate pathway, and the R2R3-MYB transcription factor gene MdMYB85 increased upon MeJA treatment. Furthermore, the essential gene ALCOHOL ACYLTRANSFERASE 1 (MdAAT1), encoding an enzyme responsible for ester aroma synthesis, showed increased expression levels as well. Our investigation revealed that MdMYC2 and MdMYB85 directly interacted with the promoter region of MdAAT1, thereby enhancing its transcriptional activity. In addition, MdMYC2 and MdMYB85 directly bind their promoters and activate transcription. Notably, the interaction between MdMYC2 and MdMYB85 proteins further amplified the regulatory effect of MdMYB85 on MdMYC2 and MdAAT1, as well as that of MdMYC2 on MdMYB85 and MdAAT1. Collectively, our findings elucidate the role of the gene module consisting of MdMYC2, MdMYB85, and MdAAT1 in mediating the effects of JA and promoting ester aroma synthesis in apples.

Synergistic mechanism of formaldehyde adsorption by intrinsic defects and carboxyl groups on the surface of carbon materials.

The adsorption of formaldehyde on the original carbon material is limited. Determining the synergistic adsorption of formaldehyde by different defects on the carbon material is necessary for comprehensively understanding the mechanism of formaldehyde adsorption on the surface of the carbon material. The synergistic effect of intrinsic defects and oxygen-containing functional groups on formaldehyde adsorption on the surface of carbon materials was simulated and verified by experiments. Based on the density functional theory, the adsorption of formaldehyde on different carbon materials was simulated by quantum chemistry. The synergistic adsorption mechanism was studied by energy decomposition analysis, IGMH, QTAIM, and charge transfer, and the binding energy of hydrogen bonds was estimated. The results showed that the energy for the adsorption of formaldehyde adsorbed by the carboxyl group on the vacancy defect was the highest, at -11.86 kcal/mol, the hydrogen bond binding energy was -9.05 kcal/mol, and a larger charge transfer was recorded. The mechanism of synergy was studied comprehensively, and the simulation results were verified at multiple scales. This study provides valuable insights into the effect of carboxyl groups on the adsorption of formaldehyde by activated carbon.

Visualization and Comparison of the Level of Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonuclease 1 in Live Normal/Cancerous and Neuron Cells with a Fluorescent Nanoprobe.

As a major apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease and a redox signaling protein in human cells, APE1 plays a crucial role in cellular function and survival. The relationship between alterations of APE1 expression and subcellular localization and the initiation, development and treatment of various cancers has received extensive attention. However, comparing the in-vivo activity of APE1 in normal and cancerous breast live cells remains challenging due to the low efficiency of commonly used liposome transfection methods in delivering DNA substrate probes into human normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A). In this work, we develop a DNA/RNA hybrid-based small magnetic fluorescent nanoprobe (25 ± 3 nm) that can be taken up by various live cells under magnetic transfection. The D0/R-nanoprobe demonstrates an outstanding specificity toward APE1 and strong resistance to the cellular background interference. Using this nanoprobe, we are not only able to visualize the intracellular activity of APE1 in breast ductal carcinoma (MCF-7) live cells, but also demonstrate the APE1 activity in MCF-10A live cells for the first time. The method is then extended to observe the changes in APE1 levels in highly metabolically active neuroendocrine cells under normal conditions and severe attacks by reactive oxygen species in real-time. The fluorescent nanoprobe provides a useful tool for studying the dynamic changes of intracellular APE1 in normal or cancerous live cells. It also displays the potential for visible and controllable release of miRNA drugs within live cells for therapeutic purposes.

Comparative study on comprehensive quality of Xinhui chenpi by two main plant propagation techniques.

Xinhui chenpi (XHCP), the sun-dried peel of the mandarin orange, Citrus reticulata "Chachi," is the most famous crude drug, as well as a traditional seasoning in Chinese cooking. The main cultivation methods of XHCP are cutting and grafting, but it is generally considered that the quality of XHCP after cutting is superior to that obtained from plants propagated by graftings, which had a negative impact on the marketing of the finished product. In our study, a total of 25 samples of XHCP obtained from plants cultivated by either traditional methods (i.e., from cuttings) or by grafting were collected to compare the contents of four types of metabolites (essential oils, flavonoids, synephrine, and total polysaccharides) as well as antioxidant activity. The results revealed that the quality of XHCP did not decline after cutting, and marked individual differences between XHCP samples, even when prepared from plants grown in the same way. In general, grafting had no significant effect on the most essential oils components, total polysaccharides, synephrine, total flavonoids, total polymethoxylated flavones, hesperidin, nobiletin, tangeretin content, and antioxidant activity. Nevertheless, five volatile compounds can be used as potential chemical markers (p < 0.05) to distinguish between cutting XHCP and grafted XHCP, while four volatile compounds showed high content in grafted XHCP. Our study is expected to provide a theoretical basis for XHCP breeding and cultivation, and thereby further standardize the market of XHCP.

Solitaire AB stent mechanical embolization combined with catheter contact thrombolysis for acute renal artery embolism: A case report.

Acute renal artery embolization is a rare disease resulting in interruption of blood flow, resulting in renal tissue ischemia or necrosis, and even developing into acute renal failure. It is urgent to diagnose timely, recanalize the occluded renal artery early, and recover renal blood perfusion. Here, the article reports a case of acute renal artery embolization, which was successfully cured by interventional therapy.

Effect of oxygen functional groups on competitive adsorption of benzene and water on carbon materials: Density functional theory study.

It is important to study the effect of oxygen-containing functional groups on the competitive adsorption mechanism of benzene and water on the surface of carbon materials, and to directional modification of activated carbon to improve its selective adsorption of benzene in air. In this study, the adsorption characteristics of benzene and water on original and linked ester, carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbon materials linked by ether groups were calculated by quantum chemical simulation based on density functional theory. The types and proportions of weak interactions in the adsorption process were calculated by energy decomposition analysis, and the adsorption mechanism of carbon materials for water and benzene was described. The influence and contribution of oxygen-containing functional groups on the adsorption of benzene and water were further analyzed by van der Waals potential and electrostatic potential, respectively, so as to determine the difference in the adsorption effect of different types of oxygen-containing functional groups on the two molecules. It was found that the carboxyl group has a great influence on the hydrophilicity of carbon materials, and the electrostatic potential distribution before and after linking the carboxyl group changed significantly. Therefore, they can attract each other with water through hydrogen bonds and occupy the surface adsorption sites of carbon materials, thereby inhibiting the adsorption of benzene on carbon materials. On the contrary, due to its hydrophobic properties, the ether group will free up adsorption space for the adsorption of benzene on the surface of the carbon material, which is beneficial to the adsorption of benzene. The adsorption experiments were carried out, and the results were consistent with the simulation. This study provides an idea for preparing efficient carbonaceous adsorbent of benzene and reducing benzene pollution in industry.

Lactobacillus casei SYF-08 Protects Against Pb-Induced Injury in Young Mice by Regulating Bile Acid Metabolism and Increasing Pb Excretion.

Pb poisoning affects infant growth and development. However, dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) as the current therapy for Pb poisoning exerts relatively significant toxic side effects in infants. Therefore, identifying a non-toxic treatment in this regard is particularly important. In this study, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of an infant feces-derived probiotic strain, Lactobacillus casei SYF-08 (SYF-08), on Pb poisoning in young mice. The Pb levels in the organisms were detected via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, while the therapeutic effect of SYF-08 on Pb-induced neural system damage was explored via the Morris water maze test, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of SYF-08 against Pb-induced intestinal damage were also explored via histological staining, 16S rRNA sequencing, untargeted metabolomics, qRT-PCR, and western blotting. In vivo experiments revealed that SYF-08 reduced blood and bone Pb levels and increased urinary Pb excretion. Additionally, SYF-08 alleviated Pb-induced pathological damage to the brain and ultimately improved the learning and cognitive abilities of the young mice. This treatment also restored intestinal microflora dysbiosis, regulated bile acid metabolism, and inhibited the FXR-NLRP3 signaling pathway. It also resulted in fewer adverse events than the DMSA treatment. In conclusion, our results provided valuable insights into the therapeutic role of SYF-08 in Pb poisoning and also suggested that its administration can significantly alleviate the Pb-induced damage.

Promotion of formaldehyde degradation by electro-Fenton: Controlling the distribution of ·OH and formaldehyde near cathode to increase the reaction probability.

The mismatch of pollutant concentration and ·OH concentration is the key reason for the inefficient degradation of formaldehyde in the electro-Fenton system. Therefore, formaldehyde and ·OH are adsorbed near the cathode, and the high concentration reaction region is constructed to increase the reaction probability, which is called control of the reaction region. Through nitrogen doping modification of the activated carbon cathode, the adsorption capacity of the modified cathode for formaldehyde and active species, and the selectivity of the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction were deeply analyzed. The results show that the suitable nitrogen doping form of the modified cathode significantly promotes the adsorption capacity of formaldehyde and H2O2, which is beneficial to realizing the promotion of formaldehyde degradation by nitrogen doped cathodes in the electro-Fenton system through control of the reaction region. Graphite nitrogen and pyrrolic nitrogen improve formaldehyde adsorption by enhancing the van der Waals force (8.897 mg g-1), and pyridinic nitrogen improve H2O2 adsorption (1.841 mg g-1) by enhancing the effect of hydrogen bonding interaction. Nitrogen doping enhances Fe2+ regeneration, which contributes to the generation of ·OH at the cathode, and promotes formaldehyde degradation. The control of the reaction region through modification of the electro-Fenton cathode achieved formaldehyde degradation of 35.1 mg L-1 (48.51% higher than that of the unmodified cathode), which provides a promising process for formaldehyde treatment.

The carbon reduction effect of China's outward foreign direct investment for carbon neutrality target.

Based on mainland China's provincial OFDI and carbon emissions data from 2003 to 2018, this paper applied a panel fixed-effects model and spatial econometric model to empirically test whether China's OFDI can be a powerful tool to achieve the "carbon neutrality" target. The empirical results indicate that China's OFDI significantly increases carbon emissions, but this effect has temporal and spatial differences. After incorporating spatial factors into the analysis, the impact of OFDI on carbon emissions differs when modelled by different spatial weight matrices. The green effect of OFDI has the problem of poor channels. It is impossible to achieve energy savings and emission reduction by promoting green technology innovation, improving the rationalization of the industrial structure or reducing energy consumption. The test results of the moderating effect indicate that the development of green finance can weaken the positive effect of OFDI on emissions.

Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy Increases Inflammatory Susceptibility in Neonatal Offspring by Modulating Gut Microbiota.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a liver disease of pregnancy that is characterized by increased bile acid levels in maternal serum. Studies have shown that cholestatic pregnancy can result in long-term metabolic disturbances in the offspring. However, how ICP shapes the offspring's immunity and predisposition to inflammatory disorders at an early stage is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of maternal cholestasis on neonatal offspring metabolism and immune function. We compared 71 neonates with ICP mothers and 63 neonates with healthy mothers and found that the incidence of jaundice and infection was significantly higher in ICP offspring. Maternal serum total bile acid level was associated with blood cell counts in full-term ICP offspring. In animal experiments, a compensatory activation of hepatic and ileal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and altered gut microbiota in the first week were found in ICP offspring. We also investigated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in neonatal rats and found that ICP offspring were more susceptible to inflammation. To understand the correlation between congenital abnormal FXR activation and tissue immunity dysregulation, we assessed the effects of the FXR agonist GW4064 and FXR antagonist E/Z-GS in ICP offspring after LPS exposure. The expression of several pro-inflammatory cytokines significantly decreased after treatment with E/Z-GS but increased after treatment with GW4064. Treatment with the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus LRX01 that inhibits FXR expression in the ileum reduced susceptibility to LPS exposure in ICP offspring. The current study indicated that cholestatic pregnancy may increase the susceptibility of the offspring to inflammation by altering bile acid metabolism and gut microbiota at an early stage. We suggest that supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus LRX01, which inhibits FXR expression in the ileum, may improve intestinal immunity in ICP offspring.

Spectroscopic observation and structure-insensitivity of hydroxyls on gold.

The O-H stretching vibration of surface hydroxyls remained at 3691 cm-1 for gold structures ranging in size from clusters to nanoparticles, to non-flat bulk surfaces. In contrast, this vibration was not observed on flat gold surfaces. Therefore, this vibration can serve as an indicator of the roughness of the gold surface and associated functional properties, such as catalytic activity.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis misdiagnosed as lung cancer in a man with normal immune function: A case report.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis is an opportunistic infection of cryptococcus both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients, who suffered from HIV infection, organ transplantation, diabetes mellitus, corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy, and malignancy. Pulmonary cryptococcosis is the commonest location of non-central nervous system cryptococcosis and usually presents with nonspecific symptoms. It often shows shadows on the lung, which makes it difficult to distinguish it from lung cancer. Here we report a case of a 52-year-old man with pulmonary cryptococcosis, who was misdiagnosed as lung cancer. Clinicians need to consider the possibility of pulmonary cryptococcosis and the importance of lung biopsy when treating a patient with a normal immune function that has isolated pulmonary nodules. This case also indirectly illustrates the importance of percutaneous lung biopsy in patients with isolated pulmonary nodules.

Atomic, Molecular and Hybrid Oxygen Structures on Silver.

Interactions between oxygen and silver are important in many areas of science and technology, including materials science, medical, biomedical and environmental applications, spectroscopy, photonics, and physics. In the chemical industry, identification of oxygen structures on Ag catalysts is important in the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies that utilize gas-phase oxygen as the oxidizing reagent without generating byproducts. Gas-phase oxygen adsorbs on Ag atomically by breaking the O-O bond and molecularly by preserving the O-O bond. Atomic O structures have Ag-O vibrations at 240-500 cm-1. Molecular O2 structures have O-O vibrations at significantly higher values of 870-1150 cm-1. In this work, we identify hybrid atomic-molecular oxygen structures, which form when one adsorbed O atom reacts with one lattice O atom on the surface or in the subsurface of Ag. Thus, these hybrid structures require dissociation of adsorbed molecular oxygen into O atoms but still possess the O-O bond. The hybrid structures have O-O vibrations at 600-810 cm-1, intermediate between the Ag-O vibrations of atomic oxygen and the O-O vibrations of molecular oxygen. The hybrid O-O structures do not form by a recombination of two adsorbed O atoms because one of the O atoms in the hybrid structure must be embedded into the Ag lattice. The hybrid oxygen structures are metastable and, therefore, serve as active species in selective oxidation reactions on Ag catalysts.

Transarterial chemoembolization for Kasabach-Merritt syndrome caused by hepatic angiosarcoma: A case report.

Hepatic angiosarcoma is a rare disease, and hepatic hemangiosarcoma with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome (KMS) is even rarer. Although there have been several reports about KMS caused by hepatic angiosarcoma, there has been no mention of successful treatment regimens for hepatic angiosarcoma with KMS. A 64-year-old female patient presented with right upper abdominal pain and multiple cutaneous purpuras for 10 days. Blood analysis revealed that hemoglobin, platelet and fibrinogen were significantly decreased, prothrombin time was prolonged, fibrinogen degradation products were increased. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen demonstrated a large mass in the right lobe of the liver, which is pathologically suggestive of hepatic angiosarcoma. Based on the above examination, the patient was diagnosed with KMS caused by hepatic angiosarcoma. Repeated transfusion of blood products could only temporarily improve the coagulation function of the patient.  After transarterial chemoembolization, the patient experienced a long-term improvement of blood clotting, and the patient's survival increased by six months. Transarterial chemoembolization should be considered one of effective therapies for hepatic angiosarcoma with KMS.

Review on the Development and Applications of Medicinal Plant Genomes.

With the development of sequencing technology, the research on medicinal plants is no longer limited to the aspects of chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmacodynamics, but reveals them from the genetic level. As the price of next-generation sequencing technology becomes affordable, and the long-read sequencing technology is established, the medicinal plant genomes with large sizes have been sequenced and assembled more easily. Although the review of plant genomes has been reported several times, there is no review giving a systematic and comprehensive introduction about the development and application of medicinal plant genomes that have been reported until now. Here, we provide a historical perspective on the current situation of genomes in medicinal plant biology, highlight the use of the rapidly developing sequencing technologies, and conduct a comprehensive summary on how the genomes apply to solve the practical problems in medicinal plants, like genomics-assisted herb breeding, evolution history revelation, herbal synthetic biology study, and geoherbal research, which are important for effective utilization, rational use and sustainable protection of medicinal plants.

Novel SNP markers on ginsenosides biosynthesis functional gene for authentication of ginseng herbs and commercial products.

Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius have similar bioactive components and morphological characteristics, but they are known to have different medicinal values, high-sensitive and accurate method is expected to identify the sources of ginseng products and evaluate the quality, but with a huge challenge. Our established UHPLC-TOF/MS method coupled with orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model based on 18 ginsenosides was applied to discriminate the sources of raw medicinal materials in ginseng products, and nested PCR strategy was used to discover 6 novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites in functional dammarenediol synthase (DS) gene for genetic authentication of P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius for the first time. OPLS-DA model could identify the sources of raw ginseng materials are real or not. SNP markers were applied to identify ginseng fresh samples as well as commercial products, and proved to be successful. This established molecular method can tell exact source information of adulterants, and it was highly sensitive and specific even when total DNA amount was only 0.1 ng and the adulteration was as low as 1%. Therefore, this study made an attempt at the exploration of new type SNP marker for variety authentication and function regulation at the same time, and the combination of chemical and molecular discrimination methods provided the comprehensive evaluation and authentication for the sources of ginseng herbs and products.